The present invention relates to a cash dispenser, for dispensing and receiving bank notes. In particular, the present invention is directed to a cash dispenser including a housing with a receiving space for at least one bank note storage unit, a dispensing mechanism associated with the storage unit for removing individual bank notes from the storage unit, a bank note transport mechanism for transporting the bank notes between the storage unit and a control panel of the cash dispenser, a power supply unit and a control mechanism for controlling the functions of the cash dispenser.
There exists up to now no methods for positively securing cash from undesired access during the circulation of cash in commerce and banks. Security problems always appear at the interfaces, when for example cash must be removed from the safe system or must be resupplied to the cash dispenser.
Usually in cash dispensing/depositing machines, bank note containers or cassettes are used, which have to be filled or emptied in central loading or filling stations. For the stationary securing of cash at cash handling places and cash dispensers, strong boxes are used in which the bank note containers are placed. The transport of the bank note cassettes is carried out mostly through the use of valuables transport service performers. For this today, by regulation, professional associations in Germany are required to have an armored vehicle with three employees. The situation in other countries is analogous. Customarily one employee must watch the armored vehicle while the two others undertake a cassette exchange or refill cash on the spot. This high consumption of personnel and material is necessary to defend against attacks or to prevent manipulation by the cash deliverers themselves (xe2x80x9cthe four-eye principalxe2x80x9d). Very high costs are connected with this type of cash security.
Based on the foregoing, the present invention has as its basic object the provision of a cash dispenser of the aforementioned kind which makes possible a gapless security of the cash circulation between the cash dispensers and the associated bank with low personnel and material expense.
This object is solved in accordance with the invention by a closable and lockable box shaped container containing at least one bank note storage unit, a first bank note conveyor which connects a withdrawal device with a pass-through slot in the container wall, a drive for the withdrawal device and for the first bank note conveyor, a first control unit for controlling the functional units enclosed in the container, and a security mechanism which upon unauthorized manipulation of the container makes the bank notes contained in it unusable, the receiving space of the housing of the cash dispenser for receiving the container being so formed that the housing contains a second bank note conveyor for connecting the pass-through slot of the container with the control panel as well as a second control unit for controlling the functional units connected to the housing, and the container having an interface connected with the drive and the first control unit in the container for connection of the same to the second control unit.
In the solution according to the invention, the container because of the security mechanism contained in it replaces the previously required strong box, the transport security trunk and the armored vehicle, and makes possible a gapless security process as well as a new concept in the construction of cash dispensers. The container forms a mobile strong box which as an encapsulated, closed unit can be quickly and securely connected with the stationary portion of the cash dispenser. Since the container because of the security mechanism contained in it need not be armored it can be handled by a single person. An armored vehicle is likewise not needed. Accordingly, this reduces the above-described expense and associated costs drastically.
EP 0 692 599 BI already describes indeed a system for the protected transport of articles such as checks, bank notes and the like with a security system containing container, which can be loaded into or removed from a docking station. The docking station has, in this case, however, only the function and opening and locking of the container without tripping into action the self-destruction mechanism. A removal of bank notes from the container without opening the same is neither mentioned nor are the there described means suited to making possible a use of the container in a cash dispenser.
Essential to the classification of the container as a mobile strong box is the fact that the single opening in the strong box wall is a pass-through slot for bank notes. All functional units which are necessary for pushing the withdrawn bank notes through the pass-through slot are arranged inside of the container. Along with the pass-through slot only through openings are required for conductors which connect the interface with the functional units inside of the container. Therefore, the interface for connecting the functional units contained by the container to the power supply unit of the cash dispenser can be so formed that the control conductors and the power supply conductors have to be guided through the container wall. The remainder of the container, however, is entirely closed. Either a bank note conveyor or a drive element (for example, a power take off shaft), must be inserted into the container from its outside. This entails a further opening in the upper surface of the container which cannot be sufficiently secured against manipulation. To prevent a control of the functional elements by a non-authorized person through the control conductors, it is advantageous if the communication between the first control unit of the container and the second control unit in the stationary portion of the cash dispenser is coded. In this way it is assured that the container can be emptied only by the cash dispenser with which it is associated. In the case of theft of the container, there exists no possibility of emptying it, without forceable opening, by the help of reconstructing the cash dispenser or the like.
The concept of a cash dispenser according to the invention makes it possible to on one hand design the container to be robust and compact and on the other hand to also be of light weight, so that it can be transported by one man. Since during the transport of the container large stretches and also height differences must be traversed it is advantageous if the container is connected with wheels so that it need not be carried all the time by the transport person. Advantageously, the container is arranged on an undercarriage and is adjustable relative to the undercarriage between a lower transport position and a lifted position, in which lifted position it is insertable into the receiving space of the cash dispenser. The undercarriage can be made somewhat like a sack carrier on which the container is adjustably guided. To more easily lift the container, the undercarriage can have arranged on it a lifting mechanism, such as for example, a gas spring or the like, which upon the opening of a latch lifts the container on the undercarriage or at least assists in such a lifting.
In the receiving space of the cash dispenser are advantageously provided guide elements intended to cooperate with complementary elements on the container, or on the undercarriage, which make possible an exact positioning of the container as well as especially an exact positioning of the interface relative to the corresponding connection station of the cash dispenser. Insofar as the container may be provided with a grip, the grip can be arranged pivotally or removably on the container so that it does not interfere with the closing of the receiving space. To be able to respectively supply or withdraw bank notes into and from the storage unit or storage units in the container, the container includes, in a way known in itself, a container body and a lid movable relative to the container body which is lockable relative to the container body by a lock, which lock is advantageously contact freely actuatable, to more easily distinguish between a permitted actuation of the lock and a mechanical manipulation attempt.
The container body and the lid can, for example, as is known in the case of cash trunks, be made of glass fiber reinforced plastic in which a very fine wire mesh is embedded. Damage to this wire mesh triggers the security mechanism, for example, an explosive mechanism by means of which a coloring material is dispersed into the container.
If the container includes several storage units for the reception of different types of bank notes, it is advantageous to associate with each storage unit its own withdrawal mechanism.
The security mechanism is advantageously contact freely actuatable and deactuatable and is also preferably triggerable by a remote control. The latter case is important if the bank note container in its entirety falls into unintended hands and one wishes to make its contents unusable before anyone really has the chance, by manipulation of the container, to gain access to its contents. In connection with this the container can, in a way known in itself, be provided with a location transmitter so that it, for example, can be found by way of a satellite positioning system and/or can be controlled as desired.
The security of the container is increased if the security mechanism is activated after its filling in a bank note filling station and remains uninterruptedly activated, and is also non-deactivatable, during its transport to and its movement into an out of the cash dispenser, as well as during its reverse transport to the bank note filling station, and can only be deactivated in the bank note filling station.
Alternatively to this, activation and deactivation of the security mechanism can also be accomplished by way of the control unit of the cash dispenser, with which it is associated, so that definite procedures can be used which in turn are securely stored in the data processing apparatus of the cash dispenser.
Preferably, the drive of the bank note conveyors located both in the container as well as in the cash dispenser are reversible with the storage unit in the container being designed for the dispensing and receipt of individual bank notes. If the storage unit is further associated with a mechanism for the ordered input of bank notes to the storage unit, the cash dispenser of the invention can be used for the dispensing and depositing of bank notes. Further, the container can also be automatically loaded and unloaded at a docking station without it having to be opened. This increases the security against dishonorable employees of the bank.
The storage unit can be formed to receive a stack of bank notes, with the withdrawal mechanism being formed, as is in itself well known, as a withdrawal and individualizing mechanism.
In another preferred embodiment, at least one of the storage units is formed as a winding store, having at least one storage band, which band is wound from a supply roll over a deflecting roll arranged near the pass-through opening to a winding core, and vis-a-vis windable from the winding core, with the winding core and the supply roll being drivable by a winding drive. A winding store has the advantage that no individualizing mechanism is necessary for the withdrawal and individualizing of the bank notes, since the bank notes lie individually between the band layers of the winding store. At the same time, the danger of a plural dispensing is avoided so that also a corresponding control mechanism for testing for plural withdrawal can be eliminated. Finally the use of a winding store has the advantage that bank notes without great expense cannot only be removed from the storage unit, but can also be inserted into it.
In a preferred embodiment of the winding store, the winding core has two spools which are arranged axis parallel at a spacing from one another and of which at least one is coupable with the winding drive, with the storage band passing around both spools in common on their circumferential areas which face away from one another. The winding core is therefore not cylindrical, but has the form of a flattened elongated oval so that the winding store formed by such a winding core can optimally fill a customary rectangularly shaped housing intended for receiving a bank note stack. This simplifies the combination of the winding store with storage units of other types of construction, and their common space saving accommodation in the container.
The previously described winding store has, in comparison to customary winding stores, the advantage that the bank notes stored in the winding store are not constantly bent, but are also stored on the straight sections between the two spools. If bank notes become wound for long times on one of the spools, they obtain a retained curvature which is injurious to their being handled in a cash dispenser. To avoid this curvature in the winding store of the invention, the winding store can, for example, be constantly moved several steps forwardly or rearwardly so as to move bank notes from the curved portions of the winding to the straight portions and back again and thereby to avoid a permanent curvature of the stored bank notes.
It is sufficient that one end of the storage band be fastened to one of the two spools and that the band passes at least once around the winding core, before the delivery of bank notes is begun. The winding core can, however, also be so formed that the two spools are surrounded by one endless band which forms the circumferential envelope of the winding core, onto which endless band the storage band is windable. This is at least advantageous if the storage band is of only one layer.
The storage band can, however, include two individual foils which are unwound as a double layer from the supply roll and which are guided to the output station of the storage unit by way of separated paths, whereby they after forming a bank note input/output gap they are again guided together as a double layer by a deflecting roll and are wound onto the winding core. In this solution the bank notes are not stored between the windings and the storage band running onto the winding, but are stored between the two individual foils of the storage band.
The container can in addition to the at least one bank note storage unit for the dispensing of bank notes also contain a collection compartment for bank notes to be taken back. One such collection or reject compartment serves to receive bank notes which indeed have been offered to the customer but not removed by the customer. Or the bank notes indeed may have been made ready for dispensing and then, however, because of an interruption in a transaction or because of some fault are not dispensed to the customer. These bank notes are, because of bookkeeping grounds, usually not again placed in the storage unit for the bank notes to be dispensed, but are instead deposited in such a collection compartment.
In customary cash dispensers the bank notes to be dispensed and also the collection compartment are customarily formed as secure cassettes. In the solution of the invention, this is no longer necessary. The storage unit and/or the collection compartment can be formed as simple drawers slidable into the container, with the storage unit having to be provided with only a pressing mechanism and a drive. Many of the previously customary cassette functional elements, which were required for the realization of a clean interface between the bank note cassettes and the individualizing units are no longer necessary in the case of the solution of the invention, such as, for example, flaps for the closing of the cassette openings, rearward pull bows, anti-repeat devices, control links, locks and the like. Therefore, the construction, material and financial expense for such bank note storage unit is substantially lowered. The drawers are, for example, guided on rails of a frame which is surrounded by the container walls, so that the guiding for the drawers need not be directly fastened to the container walls. The drawers can for exact positioning of the withdrawal mechanism have an arresting device and are preferably adjustable to accommodate different widths of bank notes.
The security mechanism can be so implemented that a bank note coloring or destroying unit is arranged above each of the drawers so that the bank notes in all storage units can be reached by the coloring or destroying mechanism and no dead angle for the effect of the security mechanism exists.
In most past dispensers the individual bank notes withdrawn from the bank note cassettes are subsequently assembled into a bundle which is offered to the customer in the output compartment of the control panel. The assembling mechanism, in which the individual bank notes are assembled into a bundle can be arranged at different locations of the transport path. Basically, there exists the possibility to place this assembly station in the container. In this case, the pass-through slot must be somewhat wider to permit the passage therethrough of a bundle of bank notes. To increase the security it is, however, advantageous if the pass-through slot remains as small as possible. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the assembly station is in the path of the second bank note conveyor, that is, it is arranged in the stationary portion of the cash dispenser. For the case that the bank notes must be again returned and transported to the collection compartment, either the bank notes of the bundle must again be individualized, so that the individual bank notes can be transported back to the collection compartment through the pass-through slot of the container, or the entire bundle is transported to the collection compartment. In this case, there naturally likewise appears the same problem as with the output of a bank note bundle, that is, that the pass-through slot must be of a corresponding width to allow passage of the bundle. Additionally, there arises also the difficulty that the relative stiff bank note bundle has to be deflected by a deflector with a relatively small radius to the collection compartment. On one hand, one desires therefore to do without an individualizing mechanism for individualizing the bank notes of the bundle to be taken back. On the other hand, however, the pass-through slot should be as small as possible and the bundle should be bendable about a small radius.
This problem is solved in accordance with the invention in that the second bank note conveyor has a first transport stretch with two belt drives the endless belts of which are directed parallel to one another and are driven by a drive roll in the same direction, and between which belts a bank note bundle is grasped and transported, as well as a drive mechanism for driving each belt drive and in that the belt drives at least in the direction from the control panel to the collection compartment are drivable at different speeds.
In the way proposed by the invention, the two belt drives which cooperate for the transport of the bank note bundle are driven at different speeds so that the bank note bundle is fanned. During the transport of the bank notes to the output compartment of the control panel, the two belt drives run at exactly the same speed so as to offer the bank notes to the customer in the output compartment with their edges arranged orderly into a bundle, and during the rear transport the bundle is fanned, whereby it becomes thinner and essentially more flexible and allows itself to be bent without problem about relatively small radii. Over a given length, the fanning can be increased as wished by multiple back and forth movement of the bundles.
A differential drive speed of the two belt drives can be accomplished in that the drive mechanism for each belt drive has its own individual motor, with at least one of the motors being controllable as to its speed.
The drive mechanism can, however, also as previously be effected with one motor with one of the two belt drives in one transport direction being coupable with the motor through a first drive train and in the other transport direction being coupable with the motor through a second drive train, with the second drive train having a different drive ratio in comparison to the first drive train.
In a practical embodiment of this solution, the drive roll of the first belt drive and an intermediate shaft parallel to it are rotationally fixedly coupled with the motor, while the drive roll of the second belt drive is connected with the first drive roll by a first one-way coupling and by way of a second one-way coupling, whose effective direction is opposite to that of the first one-way coupling, with the intermediate shaft standing in rotational moment transmitting connection.
The one-way couplings can be implemented in different ways. For example, one of the one-way couplings can be a latch-free running one or a clamping body-free running one and the other one-way coupling can be a slip coupling which in one direction makes possible a rotational moment transmission and in the other direction avoids a locking of the drive if two drive elements with different rotational speed meet with one another.
The taking up of the speed difference by a slip coupling, however, naturally loads the drive motor. If this is undesirable, the one-way couplings can also be wrap spring couplings made to have opposite effective directions with respect to one another. The wrap spring couplings tighten themselves onto the shaft, on which they are located, in the associated rotational direction, or wind themselves from the shaft to terminate the rotational moment transmission. The control of the wrap springs as a rule is achieved by means of a slide coupling with low rotational moment.
The first transport stretch can be coupled in a simple way with a subsequent two belt drive containing transport stretch, with each endless belt of the one belt drive being guided over the first drive roll and the endless belt of the second belt drive being guided over one drive roll which is located on the intermediate shaft. Since the first drive roll and the intermediate shaft are constantly driven at the same rotational speed, the two belt drives of this second transport stretch also run at the same speed, so that the bank note bundles on this second transport stretch are always transported in the form in which they arrive at the second transport stretch, that is either with the bank notes having uniformly arranged edges or with the bank notes in fan form. The second transport stretch can connect the first transport stretch with the assembly station or with the pass-through slot.